Baltimore Ravens: A hunt for a new offensive coordinator

The Baltimore Ravens have been on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator after Jim Caldwell announced last week that he has taken the head coaching job for the Detroit Lions.

The Ravens were weak on offense in 2013, with many of their struggles stemming from poor play-calling. With the departure of Caldwell, along with former running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery, the Ravens have a fresh start and the ability to completely revamp their offense to be stronger than ever.

The team has been looking for a coach that could lead the offense to success in the years to come.

Here’s a list of potential offensive coordinators for the Baltimore Ravens.

Gary Kubiak

Former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak has been suggested to replace Caldwell. Kubiak spent eight seasons as the Texans’ head coach, but his final season was cut short. He was fired on December 6, 2013, before the regular season came to an end.

Gary Kubiak (Mark Cowan/UPI)

Prior to his time in Houston, Kubiak spent 11 seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos.

Kubiak’s offensive strategies would work with the Ravens, especially when it comes to the run game. He was a running backs coach at Texas A&M University for a year, from 1992-1993. The Ravens have a strong running back in Ray Rice who could benefit from Kubiak’s run schemes. Running the ball is something Kubiak has never been shy about and he could work with the offensive line to turn the run game into what it used to be for the Ravens.

In addition, Kubiak spent a season as a quarterback coach with the San Francisco 49ers before becoming a quarterback coach for the Broncos for eight seasons.

Kubiak’s versatility and work experience with offenses would make for a stronger Ravens offense than the Ravens have seen recently.

Kyle Shanahan

Last week, the Ravens interviewed Kyle Shanahan, former offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans.

Kyle Shanahan (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Shanahan was firedd from the Redskins coaching staff immediately following the end of the regular season. The Redskins went 3-13 in 2013.

Shanahan has six years of experience as an offensive coordinator. He spent a year with the Texans as offensive coordinator before going to the Redskins to take over the position for four seasons.

In 2008, as the youngest offensive coordinator in NFL history, Shanahan coached the Texans offense to be one of the top five offenses in the league. He did the same in 2012 with Robert Griffin III and the Redskins’ offense.

His work with Matt Schaub in Houston could be a strong case for why the Ravens may look toward Shanahan. In 2009, he led the Texans’ offense to the top passing team of the season. With Joe Flacco at quarterback, the two could work together to build up the Ravens offense and become a big threat in the NFL.

Other coaches that could benefit the Ravens and fill the offensive coordinator void could be current Baltimore Ravens wide receivers coach Jim Hostler and former Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski.